EU Grants and Loans

Tessa Munt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effects in each of the smallest geographical areas of the UK for which figures are available of UK receipts under EU structural and cohesion funding schemes on (a) the number of jobs, (b) the number of businesses created, (c) household income and (d) gross domestic product in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: I have been asked to reply.
	The smallest geographical area within the UK covered by a Structural Funds Operational Programme is Greater London. The second smallest is Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
	The data requested under (b), (c) and (d) is not collected for these programmes. The programmes have targets for the creation of jobs and for new businesses assisted to be achieved during the life of the programme. The current Structural Funds programmes run from 2007 to 2013 and projects continue to spend until the end of 2015. The full evaluation of the programmes cannot be completed until this process has been completed.

Exports: Government Assistance

Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to increase assistance to British firms exporting to (a) non-European Union and (b) rapidly growing overseas markets through UK Export Finance; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The Government have already taken such steps. UK Export Finance introduced a number of new products on a pilot basis in the spring, and has been taking steps to improve awareness of them.
	UK Export Finance and UK Trade & Investment have been undertaking a market awareness campaign across the UK alongside banks, trade associations and professional bodies, to meet small and medium sized exporters to inform them of the availability of UK Export Finance's products. UK Export Finance aims to make contact with as many exporters as possible through direct contact, the media and other avenues.
	Next year the Government will review the new products with a view to identify whether any changes are necessary to improve their effectiveness and/or financial performance.

Assaults: Prisons

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many accusations of an assault on a member of prison staff have been investigated by the police in each of the last five years.

Nick Herbert: The information requested is not available from the recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office.

Deportation: Zimbabwe

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have been removed by the UK Border Agency to Zimbabwe in each of the last two years.

Damian Green: There were 363 removals and voluntary departures from the UK to Zimbabwe in 2009; and 414 in 2010. These figures include nationals of Zimbabwe and other nationals who departed to Zimbabwe. The 2010 figure is provisional.
	These figures include enforced removals, people departing voluntarily after notifying the UK Border Agency of their intention to leave prior to their departure, people leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes and people who it has been established left the UK without informing the immigration authorities.
	The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of persons removed or departed voluntarily from the UK within 'Immigration Statistics'. The data on removals and voluntary departures are available in tables rv.01 to rv.08 from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science, Research and Statistics web pages at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/research-statistics/migration/migration-statistics1/

Entry Clearances

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many tier 2 intra-company transfers were issued in (a) July 2008 to June 2009, (b) July 2009 to June 2010 and (c) July 2010 to June 2011.

Theresa May: Tier 2 and the category intra-company transfers were introduced in November 2008.
	There were 10,065, 26,554 and 29,390 visas issued to main applicants under tier 2 intra-company transfers respectively in July 2008 to June 2009, July 2009 to June 2010 and July 2010 to June 2011. There were 3,258, 6,507 and 6,231 grants of extensions of stay to such applicants for the same periods.
	The latest Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas issued and grants of extension, together with earlier data, is published in the Immigration Statistics release, which is available from the Home Office Science website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q3-2011/
	A copy of the latest release, “Immigration Statistics July-September 2011” will be placed in the House Library.

Immigration

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Gurkhas living in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (b) London have been granted leave to remain in the UK since May 2009.

Damian Green: The number of Gurkhas granted leave to remain in the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency is under five.
	The number of Gurkhas granted leave to remain in the London area is 14.
	This information has been taken from the individuals last known address. The postcodes used for Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency have been taken from the Office of National Statistics database. All figures quoted are management information which has been subject to internal quality checks.

Stephen Lawrence Death Inquiry

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the correspondence files of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry to be made publicly available.

Nick Herbert: Most of the Home Office papers relating to the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry have been released and are already available to the public at The National Archives (TNA).
	The historic review programme of the remaining Home Office files for the Stephen Lawrence inquiry is currently being developed. Given the high profile of these papers, they will be included for review and transferred to TNA as a priority as soon as soon as possible.

Armed Forces: Credit

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action the Government is taking to ensure service families have access to affordable credit.

Andrew Robathan: Ministry of Defence officials are working with, among others, the UK's Credit Reference Agencies, Royal Mail and the British Banking Association, to establish a system to improve the validation of credit histories for armed forces personnel. This in turn, should improve the ability of the service community to access mortgages and to apply for mainstream credit. We have also encouraged the Council of Mortgage Lenders and the Building Society Association to remind their front-line staff of the unique nature of life in the armed forces and thereby help to prevent the service community being disadvantaged.

Armed Forces: Housing

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many married quarters in Portsmouth are unoccupied; and how many of these have been unoccupied for more than three months.

Andrew Robathan: As at 22 November 2011, of the 2,819 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties in the Portsmouth area, 309 were void (empty), of which 181 had been void for over three months.
	There are 143 void properties which have been allocated to families shortly due to move in. A further 85 are due to be handed back to Annington Homes Ltd on 24 November 2011 which will bring the percentage of void properties in the. area below the target management margin of 10% of total stock.
	A management margin of empty (void) properties has to be maintained to allow for routine movements of personnel, major improvement works or disposal.

Defence Equipment

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many counterfeit electronic parts have been detected on equipment owned by his Department in each of the last five years.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) Quality Assurance Authority has not received any reports of counterfeit electronic parts having been detected on MOD equipment in the last five years.
	The MOD's framework of contract conditions requires that our contractors supply ‘fit for purpose’ products. Recent changes to the framework have included a strengthening of the requirements for Certificates of Conformance, whereby suppliers must attest that their product meets MOD requirements.
	The only effective method of assessing whether a particular item is counterfeit is to test it against its original specification. Whenever 'suspect' material is notified to the MOD Quality Assurance Authority (QAA), alerts are raised to all possible users advising them to take the appropriate review action and to test items if necessary.
	The MOD is aware that counterfeit products are becoming a serious problem worldwide and is currently working closely with industry experts to raise awareness of the risk of counterfeit parts entering the supply chain. A Counterfeit Awareness Working Group (CAWG) has been established, to develop guidance on the issue to be used across the MOD and industry. The CAWG arranged an awareness event on counterfeit parts for the MOD and industry personnel in July 2011 and is planning another for June 2012.

Departmental Equality

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps his Department has taken to promote equality of opportunity; and at what cost to the public purse.

Andrew Robathan: The permanent secretary and the Chief of Defence Staff jointly chair a diversity panel and are supported by diversity champions at senior civil service level. We have a small central team, under 10 people, of dedicated professionals who provide the Department with advice and guidance around its efforts to remove or minimise disadvantages and meet the needs of its staff. For example, the Ministry of Defence civil service launched the new 'ability passport' scheme in August this year for use by staff requiring reasonable adjustments. This is not a mandatory requirement but the scheme has been created to assist staff who may change jobs or experience a change of line manager. The armed forces have also recently introduced a number of initiatives for service personnel, including a Naval Service parenting network and an Army women's network. The team also assists the Department in seeking out opportunities to help people who share a protected characteristic to participate in public life.
	The cost to the public purse is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Falkland Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the Falkland Islands.

Nick Harvey: The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has regular discussions with his US counterpart: The nature of those discussions is confidential.

Germany: Armed Forces

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he provided written notice to the German Government of his plans to withdraw troops from Germany.

Nick Harvey: The previous Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), wrote to his German counterpart Dr Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg on publication of the Strategic Defence and Security Review in October 2010 to inform him of our plans to withdraw troops from Germany.
	Since that time, the Ministry of Defence has continued to liaise closely with the German Government, the Federal Ministry of Defence, regional and local authorities as our plans have developed. We have also worked hard to ensure coherence in our announcements to ensure that Ministers, our ambassador to Germany, General Officer Commanding UK Support Command, our Defence Attaché in Berlin and others have been able to brief their German counterparts in a timely fashion.

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many times his Department sought legal advice from external counsel in (a) 2007, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) the first six months of 2011;
	(2)  what the cost was of (a) internal and (b) external legal advice commissioned by his Department in the first six months of 2011;
	(3)  how much his Department spent on (a) legal advice and (b) instructing counsel in (i) 2007, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) the first six months of 2011; how many times (A) his Department was taken to court and (B) a decision taken by his Department was subject to a judicial review; and what the outcome was of each such (1) case and (2) review.

Andrew Robathan: Information on the number of times that external legal advice has been sought is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The amounts spent by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on instructing counsel via the Treasury Solicitor's department in England and Wales were as follows:
	2007-08: £2,924,728
	2009-10: £4,062,823
	2010-11: £4,511,062.
	In the first six months of 2011, we estimate that a sum of £1,811,634 has so far been spent on instructing counsel in England and Wales. Instructing via the Treasury Solicitor's department accounts for the majority of our costs for external counsel.
	Information on the amounts spent by the Department on legal advice in Scotland, where the MOD is represented by solicitor-agents was as follows:
	2007-08: £1,088,448
	2008-09: £1,399,101
	2009-10: £1,370,447
	2010-11: £1,034,126.
	The Treasury Solicitor's department also reports that the numbers of new cases involving the MOD opened by them in the years in question were as follows:
	2007-08: 446
	2009-10: 603
	2010-11: 610.
	The numbers of new judicial reviews in each year involving the MOD were as follows:
	2007-08: 24
	2009-10: 64
	2010-11: 74.
	I would stress, however, that analysis of the number of new cases opened in England and Wales needs to be treated with caution as, for example, large group actions are often treated as one case in these figures. In Scotland, there was only one judicial review between 2007 and 2011.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 7 November 2011, Official Report, columns 82-3W, in which I provided the numbers of staff currently employed in the five different legal sections within the MOD. We estimate that the costs of this internal legal advice for the first six months of 2011 to be in the region of £8.6 million. Not all of these staff, many of whom are uniformed, provide legal advice to the Department as the sole part of their duties.
	With regard to external legal advice commissioned in the first six months of 2011, figures are not centrally held that would help detail an accurate grand total figure. Nevertheless, I can supply the following information which reflects our major areas of legal expenditure for this period. Fees and disbursements paid to the Treasury Solicitor's department totalled £6.7 million. Sums paid to firms working for the Department's commercial framework panel totalled £2.5 million. Fees and outlays paid to the providers of legal advice to the Department in Scotland totalled £697,929. The RAF legal service also report spending £64,750 on external legal advice relating to employment tribunals during this period.

War Memorials: VAT

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many (a) letters, (b) e-mails and (c) telephone calls his Department has received on VAT on the construction of war memorials in each of the last 12 months;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with veteran groups on VAT on the construction of war memorials.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has received only one letter on this issue in the last 12 months.
	The Ministry of Defence has no direct responsibility in this matter but the Department for Culture, Media and Sport administer a Memorial Grant Scheme which refunds the VAT costs incurred by UK-registered charities in the construction, renovation and maintenance of memorials both in the UK and overseas. I have attended one meeting with the Minister for Tourism and Heritage, my hon. Friend the Member for Weston-super-Mare (John Penrose), and the Bomber Command Association where the issue of VAT for the Bomber Command Memorial has been discussed.

Earth Summit 2012

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will ensure that her Department's preparations for the Rio+20 Summit in 2012 address population stabilisation and sustainable development.

James Paice: The UK Government are committed to strong, sustainable and balanced economic growth, eradicating poverty, tackling dangerous climate change, and ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources.
	Economic growth is essential to raising living standards, reducing poverty, improving well-being and expanding economic and social choices. We need sustainable development to achieve all this.
	The Rio+20 summit on sustainable development (June 2012) is an opportunity to agree ambitious action which will enable us to meet the challenge of global population growth and rising income levels, while ensuring that natural resources and ecosystems are used in a sustainable way for our long-term prosperity. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), is leading the UK Government's preparations for Rio+20, working with EU and international partners.
	Lack of choice and access to family planning for many women and girls contributes to rapid population growth, which can impede economic growth and poverty reduction.
	The Government, via the Department for International Development, have committed to ensuring at least 10 million more women in developing countries have access to modern methods of family planning by 2015.

Primary Education: Bristol

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to provide funding for an increase in primary school places in Bristol from 2013.

Nick Gibb: Last year the Department announced capital funding of £800 million in 2011-12 for the provision of pupil places. Bristol city council's share of this 'basic need' allocation was £9.36 million and we have stated that local authorities can expect similar levels of funding from 2012-13 through to 2014-15. An announcement about capital programmes and allocations from 2012-13 will be made in due course.
	Earlier this year, the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), announced a further £500 million of capital funding in 2011-12 for those areas where rising pupil numbers are leading to the greatest pressure for school places. Bristol city council has been allocated a further £18.32 million from this fund. Basic need funding is not ring-fenced, in order to give local authorities flexibility over the timing of spend.

Pupil Exclusions

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils were excluded for (a) physical and (b) verbal abuse or assault by constituency in the latest year for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: The requested information has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Any violence or verbal abuse in .school is totally unacceptable. The terms 'physical assault' and 'verbal abuse', as collected in the school census, cover a range of offences. Full details on the reasons for exclusion covered under each of these terms are published as part of the Schools Census Guidance. The latest guidance can be found at the following link:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/schooladmin/a0076969/school-census-2012

Departmental Food

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that the same standards of animal welfare for whole eggs apply to imported liquefied eggs procured by (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible;
	(2)  what proportion of food sourced by (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible was procured from UK food producers in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(3)  what steps (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible are taking to ensure that they meet the Government's buying standards for food and catering.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) supports the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in achieving full compliance with UK egg industry legislation.
	(a) In accordance with EU Council Directive 1999/74/EC, which prohibits the use of conventional cages from 1 January 2012, the Department has ensured that all egg-producing birds are from improved enriched colonies. The Department's supplier of foodstuff to Her Majesty's Prison Service, which accounts for 99.6% of direct food procurement within the Ministry of Justice, became compliant in 2010. The Department does not purchase liquefied eggs under the current foodstuff contract.
	All egg products supplied to the MOJ must comply with the relevant UK and EU legislation. Suppliers are required to provide products that are sourced in compliance with EC regulations and from assured providers under animal welfare conditions that are compatible with the UK. animal welfare regulations.
	(b) Information regarding public bodies is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate costs.
	The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is committed to the Government Buying Standards (GBS) for food. This encourages the public sector to procure food in a manner that promotes sustainable development and does not discriminate against local suppliers and UK producers.
	(a) For the latest period for which figures are available, the proportion of domestically-produced food used (by value) is approximately 56%.
	The Department and its contractors continue to look for opportunities to enable domestic producers to compete for supply contracts while seeking to achieve value for money. The Department encourages its suppliers to procure food from UK producers where possible.
	(b) Information regarding public bodies is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate costs.
	The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is committed to be compliant with the Government Buying Standards (GBS) for food and catering.
	The Department's suppliers are obligated to source in line with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) policy on GBS to ensure supply achieves value for money.
	Examples where the Department meets the mandatory food and catering services standards include the following:
	(1) Animal welfare: 100% of eggs (in shell) sourced from systems that do not use conventional cages. If from a caged system, enriched cages are used.
	(2) Fish: 100% seafood procured compliant with sustainability standards indicated by Marine Conservation Society's or Marine Stewardship Councils list of fish to eat.
	(3) Recycling: There is a mandatory agreement for prisons which account for 99.6% of direct food spend within the Department for the disposal of waste oils and fats through the controlled waste regulations.
	(4) All new contracts are tendered to reflect GBS policy.
	(b) Information regarding public bodies is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Parole

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many cases before the Parole Board were awaiting a hearing on 1 January in each year between 1996-97 and 2010-11 inclusive;
	(2)  in how many cases of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences the Parole Board (a) directed release, (b) did not direct release and (c) adjourned or deferred a decision in each year from 2004-05 to 2010-11 inclusive.

Crispin Blunt: Figures for years prior to 2009-10 are not available as the Parole Board did not record total number of cases awaiting a hearing in these years.
	Details of the cases awaiting hearing that are available, are in the following table.
	
		
			 As at 1 January each year Cases awaiting a hearing 
			 2009 2,237 
			 2010 1,702 
			 2011(1) 1,366 
			 (1) Projected. 
		
	
	Indeterminate prisoners are made up of prisoners receiving a “life” sentence ‘or’ an indeterminate sentence (IPP) for public protection (1PP).
	The following tables outline the changes in cases referred to the Parole Board for either category.
	
		
			 Life sentence prisoners 
			  Cases considered Release directed Did not direct release Adjourned or deferred 
			 2004-05 1,341 290 896 155 
			 2005-06 1,195 270 723 202 
			 2006-07 1,421 207 830 384 
			 2007-08 1,423 207 937 270 
			 2008-09 1,272 194 852 226 
			 2009-10 1,530 172 1,171 187 
			 2010-11 2,152 330 1,550 272 
		
	
	
		
			 IPP prisoners 
			  Cases considered Release directed Did not direct release Adjourned or deferred 
			 2004-05 0 — — — 
			 2005-06 0 — — — 
			 2006-07 74 6 44 24 
			 2007-08 253 17 192 44 
			 2008-09 556 43 390 123 
			 2009-10 1,432 68 1,197 167 
			 2010-11 2,261 140 1,901 220

Arts

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has made an estimate of the amount of revenue lost to the creative industries due to free pitching in the last five years; if he will estimate the likely losses over the comprehensive spending review period; and what steps he is taking to eliminate this practice.

Edward Vaizey: The Department has not made any assessment of free pitching along these lines, and the advertising industry have not put this forward as one of their top concerns. If they wish to do so in future, the creative industries council would be the right forum to do so. In general we are in favour of industry setting out guidelines for its own best working practices.

Arts Council England

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which organisations in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Birmingham received Arts Council England funding in the latest period for which figures are available.

Edward Vaizey: In the financial year 2010-11, 609 organisations in the West Midlands region received either regular funding or funding through the “Grants for the Arts” programme from Arts Council England. Applicants can apply for up to £100,000 for regional activity, or above with prior permission.
	In the financial year 2010-11, 203 organisations in the local authority region of Birmingham received either regular funding or funding through the “Grants for the Arts” programme.
	The names of these organisations shall be deposited in the Library of both Houses.

Cricket: Disability

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what funding his Department and incorporated public bodies have allocated to support disabled people to play cricket between 2009 and 2013; and on what projects such funding has been spent to date.

Hugh Robertson: As the National Governing Body for cricket, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has spent around £1,217,580 on disability cricket since funding was awarded in 2009. Of this, £608,709 is Sport England funding and £608,709 the ECB’s own funding.
	As part of the ECB's commitment to develop disability cricket they have recently set up regional training camps for the deaf and launched a Visually Impaired Talent Development programme. The ECB has set out their strategy for disability cricket in the document ‘Disability Cricket Vision 2009-2013’ which can be found at the following link:
	http://static.ecb.co.uk/files/ecb-disability-cricket-vision-2009-2013-10730.pdf
	Also, the ECB is one of the signatories of the Voluntary Code of Conduct for Sports Broadcasting, which aims to encourage the reinvestment of revenues from television broadcasting rights of major sporting events to community sport. The ECB is planning to commit expenditure into grassroots development that amounts to more than 30% of its net UK TV broadcasting revenue.

Design: Government Assistance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to assist design companies to secure work with international clients.

Edward Vaizey: The design industry is one of the UK's strengths, and something which we are already renowned for across the world. Design is a priority sector for UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), who have a programme in place to assist UK design companies wishing to expand into overseas markets. This includes running a series of overseas trade missions to priority markets such as South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Mexico this year. In addition, Lord Marland recently led missions to China and Brazil to coincide with the Beijing and Brazil Design Weeks. UKTI also supports groups of design companies wishing to exhibit at key overseas trade fairs such as the Milan Furniture Fair, Maison et Objet in Paris and International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York, and works closely with industry bodies, such as British Design Innovation and the Design Business Association, to ensure that design companies are well informed about overseas opportunities.

Armed Forces: Young People

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the range and level of educational qualifications offered to armed forces recruits aged 16 to 18 and their conformity with the minimum standards recommended by the Wolf Review of Vocational Education.

Nicholas Clegg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Schools, Department for Education, the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr Gibb), on 28 November 2011, Official Report, column 704W.

Business: Closures

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many businesses in (a) Preston constituency and (b) Lancashire have ceased trading since 1 June 2010.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to you Parliamentary Question asking how many businesses in (a) Preston constituency and (b) Lancashire have ceased trading since 1 June 2010.
	Annual statistics on the number of enterprise deaths are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	However, unfortunately these statistics are only available up to the calendar year 2009. The results for 2010 will be released on 6th December 2011.

Departmental Procurement

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what procedures his Department has put in place to ensure value for money on purchases; and what savings have been identified using those procedures in the last year.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office ensures value for money on its purchases through the use of pan-government deals for relevant goods and services that have been set up by the Government Procurement Service (GPS) and other Departments to enable it to exploit the benefits of Government's aggregated purchasing power in order to achieve better prices. Further savings are expected to be realised from the government-wide efficiency programmes which the Cabinet Office has initiated, including:
	the centralising of all common commodity procurement through contracts awarded and managed by GPS to maximise public sector buying power;
	the re-negotiation of deals with Government's largest suppliers; and
	the use of the Dynamic Marketplace for lower value procurements which will open up opportunities for SMEs to win Government business.
	Savings achieved have contributed to a reduction in the Department’s procurement expenditure overall between 2009-10 and 2010-11 of almost 3%.

Government Departments: Finance

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made on the cross-government review of advice funding in which other Government Departments are involved; which advice organisations have been consulted; and when the review will report its findings.

Nick Hurd: The Government announced on 21 November that the Cabinet Office would be conducting a review to ensure that people continue to have access to good quality free advice services in their communities.
	Work has now started on the review which will conclude early next year with recommendations to Ministers, and will build on work that has already been done. The review is considering the funding environment for free advice services, likely levels of demand, and how government can play a positive role.
	In conducting the review, the Cabinet Office is seeking the input of a wide range of advice sector stakeholders including national and local advice organisations, representative bodies, umbrella organisations for the sector, and other organisations that play an influential role in determining the landscape of free advice provision. We are doing this through individual stakeholder meetings, roundtable discussions with key sector representatives, and by taking account of recent, relevant research in this area.

National School of Government

Andrew Miller: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  whether the National School of Government's information security protecting information course includes training in the use (a) use of privacy panels and (b) circumstances when privacy screen panels should be used;
	(2)  whether the National School of Government provides visual data security training;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2011, Official Report, column 368W, on Departmental Data Protection, what guidance the Cabinet Office issues to other Government Departments on (a) the use of data privacy panels and (b) training in the circumstances in which privacy screen panels should be used;
	(4)  whether the Government have undertaken an evaluation of the risks posed by visual data security breaches across central Government Departments.

Francis Maude: The Cross Government Data Handling Review 2008 requires that all civil servants undergo data security training on an annual basis. This training can be given through a variety of ways including:
	induction courses;
	regular briefing and training events;
	articles on Departments' intranet sites;
	awareness campaigns; and
	intermittent reminders as and when considered necessary.
	Visual data security is one element of the National School of Government "Introduction to Information Assurance" course, and is specifically covered under IS1 Risk Assessment Process as part of the “Information Assurance Standards IS1 and IS2” course. The National School of Government website also hosts the Cabinet Office sponsored e-learning course “Protecting Information” which includes a number of different 'role dependent' modules.
	The Government have a number of measures in place to safeguard sensitive and/or protectively marked (classified) information. The Cabinet Office co-ordinates protective security policy for the whole of Government including the rules, procedures and technical controls required to ensure the protection of sensitive information. Mandatory requirements and best practice guidelines are set out in the HMG Security Policy Framework at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/spf.aspx
	The framework includes guidance to reduce the risk that sensitive information could be overlooked when laptops or other media devices are used in open plan office environments or public spaces.
	Security policy officials and the national technical authorities keep all security threats under constant review and the Security Policy Framework guidelines are regularly updated.

Public Sector: Equality

Graham Brady: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of equality and diversity training in the public sector in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will take steps to encourage efficiency savings of such expenditure.

Francis Maude: Information on the cost of equality and diversity training across public sector as a whole is not held centrally.
	However the Government have taken steps to reduce the cost of generic learning and development by launching Civil Service Learning, a cross-Government resource that will centrally procure all generic learning and development for the civil service.
	Equality and diversity training is part of this provision. As we continue to establish Civil Service Learning, an e-learning course will be provided to cover this area for all civil servants. No specific costs were incurred as it has been developed in-house by staff in HMRC.

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish data on referrals and job outcomes for (a) tier 1, (b) tier 2 and (c) voluntary and community sector providers (i) across the whole work programme and (ii) by individual contract package area in (A) April and (B) October 2012.

Chris Grayling: The exact details of what we will publish has still to be decided as it is dependant on the availability and quality of the data, however we hope to be able to publish data by contract package area.

Employment Schemes: Disability

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received from Work programme providers on the proportion of referrals to the programme of people in receipt of employment and support allowance; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Department is implementing some process changes to the Work programme in response to feedback received from organisations on the level of referrals from people in receipt of employment and support allowance (ESA). These changes aim to maximise the number of ESA claimants joining provision and are also in line with provider's requests to have more influence over their engagement with individuals.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the proportion of (a) incapacity benefit, (b) disability living allowance and (c) employment support allowance benefit claims there were subsequently proved to be unsubstantiated in the last year for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: Please note that incapacity benefit was replaced by employment and support allowance (ESA) for new claims from October 2008. The reassessment of incapacity benefit claimants for eligibility for employment and support allowance started in April 2011 and is expected to end in 2014.
	Information on the number of incapacity benefits claimants being reassessed for ESA using the work capability assessment (WCA) is not available. Due to the overall length of the incapacity benefits reassessment process, information on the process including the final outcomes, subsequent destinations of claimants being reassessed and appeals is not yet available. Individual level data are being collected, but it will take time to complete because of the overall length of the reassessment process. The Department plans to publish data on the outcomes of the reassessment process but only once it has been quality assured and is considered robust.
	The number of disability living allowance (DLA) new claim decisions made from April 2010 to March 2011 was 453,000 and 257,000 (57%) were rejected. The total rejected on medical grounds was 256,000 and 1,000 were rejected because the DLA eligibility criteria was not satisfied.
	The Department regularly publishes information on employment support allowance and the work capability assessment. The latest report was published in October 2011 and can be found on the departmental website here:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_wca
	Table 2 in the above publication shows that there were 447,500 new ESA claims that underwent an initial WCA between June 2010 and May 2011 (the latest data available), of these 265,000 (59%) were found fit for work.
	Notes:
	1. Percentages have been rounded to the nearest percentage point and numbers of cases have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
	2. Disability living allowance data is sourced from Department for Work and Pensions, RDA60209 and RDA60205 reports—DLA Management Information Statistics.
	3. Employment and support allowance data is sourced from Atos Healthcare and DWP departmental administrative data.

Aerospace Industry: Research

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to support research and development in the aerospace sector.

Mark Prisk: Technology is an important strand of work for the Aerospace Growth Partnership, which I co-chair with Marcus Bryson CEO of GKN Aerospace. The focus of the Technology Working Group is on identifying the key technologies that will help position the UK aerospace industry to secure high value work on new aircraft programmes.
	In July 2011, the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) announced £10 million of research and development (R and D) grants for the Next Generation Vertical Lift programme, led by AgustaWestland, encompassing three projects focusing on main and tail rotor blades, transmission systems and flight trials. This is in addition to the £300 million invested by the TSB over the past four years on collaborative research and technology programmes such as 'Next Generation Composite Wing' led by Airbus, and 'SILOET (Strategic Investment in Low Carbon Engine Technology) led by Rolls-Royce.
	We are also supporting the development of new aircraft programmes such as the Airbus A350 XWB and Bombardier CSeries aircraft with Repayable Launch Investment—with commitments for these programmes totalling around £514 million.
	The aerospace sector will benefit from the creation of the High Value Manufacturing Technology and Innovation Centre (HVM TIC) network. Established and overseen by the Technology Strategy Board, the HVM TIC will provide an integrated capability and embrace all forms of manufacture using metals and composites, in addition to process manufacturing technologies and bio-processing.

Apprentices

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the merits of subsidising wage costs from the public purse for apprentices aged 19 to 24 years.

John Hayes: The Government have announced that we will incentivise small employers who have not been previously engaged in the apprenticeships programme to take on their first young apprentices aged 16 to 24. Up to 40,000 places will be available.
	Apprenticeships deliver strong value for money, with good progression in employment and continued learning. Small employers, who often do not have human resource departments, or dedicated training budgets, can find it more challenging to take on their first apprentice, providing an incentive payment to support them in doing so will enable them to offer new opportunities to young people.

Apprentices

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the barriers preventing small businesses from recruiting apprentices; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: Employers of small and medium-sized businesses and their representative bodies have told us that they face a number of barriers in recruiting apprentices including bureaucracy and framework rigidity that do not and in some cases cost.
	That is why we announced on 16 November that we will strip out all additional health and safety requirements imposed on employers, reduce the time it takes an employer to advertise a vacancy for an apprentice to one month and provide the small firms with a financial incentive of £1,500 to help them take on their first apprentice. We will ask a leading employer to undertake an independent review of apprenticeship standards which we expect will identify other areas where we can work to make the apprenticeship programme simpler for employers of all sizes.

Engineering: Prizes

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department has provided for the Queen Elizabeth prize for Engineering.

Mark Prisk: The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering is an independent award funded by industry. It will be administered by the Royal Academy for Engineering. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and other BIS Ministers and officials assisted the Royal Academy in establishing the prize through discussions with senior industry leaders.

Environment Protection

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what methodology are used in impact assessments across Government to assign a value to environmental (a) policies and (b) legislation to represent their potential benefit to the low-carbon and environmental goods and services sector.

Mark Prisk: The development of business cases and impact assessments across HM Government follows the guidance set out in The Green Book—Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government (2011). This guidance is supported by a comprehensive set of more detailed supplementary guidance which covers a range of issues including methodologies for the calculation of environmental impacts. All guidance can be found on HM Treasury's web pages:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/data_greenbook_index.htm

Local Enterprise Partnerships: Liverpool

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what response he plans to give to the offer from Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership that its Employment and Skills Board should be recognised as the single voice on employment and skills matters in the Liverpool City Region in return for a commitment to undertake activities in direct support of the Government's growth agenda.

Greg Clark: I welcome the proposals that the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership have brought forward with regard to the role of their Employment and Skills Board. I am exploring these ideas further in the context of my wider discussions with Liverpool—and other cities—around developing bespoke deals between them and the Government to drive growth.

Manufacturing Industries: North West

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the proportion of the growth in manufacturing that took place between August 2010 and August 2011 that can be accounted for by manufacturers located in the North West.

Mark Prisk: The data are not available. Estimates of gross value added, the measure on which economic growth is based, cannot be calculated on a regional level for a considerable period of time after the event. This is because the complex process allocating value to different regions with any accuracy relies on many detailed figures and parameters that only become available over time. Even when data become available they are only available for complete calendar years.

New Businesses: Young People

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what advice and support his Department provides to young people who wish to set up in business.

Mark Prisk: We are transforming the way people receive the information, advice and guidance they need to start and grow their business. Our new approach, which provides access to everyone regardless of age, is based on: digital services which provide high quality information and advice, accessible when businesses need them; and face to face advice provided by business people for business people, not by the public sector. We are:
	Revamping the Business Link website
	www.businesslink.gov.uk
	introducing two new online services; a dedicated “My New Business” area developed by experts to provide training, tools and checklists for those looking to start a business; and the new Growth and Improvement Service which will provide new tools to help businesses understand the issues they face, plus a business support and an events finder tool so businesses can find out what is available to them locally. To ensure services are readily accessible and meet a variety of needs, our services include online tools, tutorials and case studies, and will be accessible using mobile technology.
	Establishing a national helpline to help people find what they need on the web and for those who cannot access the web.
	Encouraging businesses to seek a business mentor to help them develop their business and encouraging mentoring organisations to offer access to their mentors through a mentoring portal,
	www.mentorsme.co.uk
	Setting up a new Business Coaching for Growth (BCG) Programme to enable small businesses with high growth potential to realise their potential.
	There are no age specific elements/adaptations, and all new materials have been reviewed and tested by a wide range of subject experts and real businesses including people starting up to ensure that they are accessible to all.
	In addition to providing advice and support it is also important to provide young people with hands-on enterprise experience. Therefore, the Government are:
	providing teachers with support to grow school businesses through an enhanced web resource
	www.enterprisevillage.org.uk
	providing schools with access to local enterprise champions to engage and inspire children
	www.inspiringthefuture.org
	supporting the creation of student enterprise societies so that every student in further education (FE) and higher education (HE) can access enterprise support;
	improving access to information about what working for yourself entails, including through Global Entrepreneurship Week and My New Business.

Parking: Fees and Charges

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the impact on the economy of central London of Westminster city council's proposal to extend parking charges during the evenings and weekends;
	(2)  what discussions his Department has had with Westminster city council on the impact of its proposals to extend parking charges during the evenings and weekends.

Mark Prisk: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has not made an assessment of the impact on London's economy of Westminster city council's proposal for the extension of parking charges during the evenings and weekends. This is a primarily a matter for the council, taking account of the views of stakeholders including businesses in the area.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has had no discussions with Westminster city council on the impact of its proposals to extend parking charges during the evenings and weekends.

Post Offices

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made an assessment of the capability of sub-post offices and post office locals to offer Government services to the same level and quality as those provided by Crown post offices.

Edward Davey: The Department has made no such as assessment as decisions on the range of services to be offered at individual post offices are operational matters for Post Office Ltd within the terms of the contracts with their clients which will vary on a case by case basis. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the managing director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	The Government’s ambition are that all post offices should offer the services they are able to provide within the terms of the contracts between Post Office Ltd and their clients to the highest standards possible.

Regional Growth Fund: Liverpool

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what approvals have been given to regional growth fund applications in respect of Liverpool.

Mark Prisk: In the second round of the Regional Growth Fund, 11 projects from the Liverpool city region have been conditionally allocated funds and will proceed to due diligence after terms and conditions of support are agreed.
	The 11 projects are:
	University of Liverpool
	Crown Speciality packaging UK Ltd
	Redx Pharma Ltd
	Eldonians Group Ltd
	The Listen media Company Ltd
	Keepmoat Homes Ltd
	Dairy Crest Ltd
	Pilkington United Kingdom Limited
	Getrag Ford Transmissions
	Harpscree (GB) Ltd
	Sefton council.

Retail Trade: West Midlands

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to support the retail sector in the West Midlands.

Mark Prisk: The Government are actively working to help all retailers including those in the West Midlands. Retail is vitally important to local and national economies. This was why it was chosen to be one of the first sectors to undergo the Growth Review process, and was the first sector to undergo the Red Tape Challenge. These initiatives identified a number of barriers to successful retail performance and growth, which the Government are working to address.
	As part of the Retail Growth Review we extended the Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) holiday for one year, to 30 September 2012. Over half a million businesses are expected to benefit, with approximately 330,000 paying no rates. It is expected that enhanced SBRR will improve cash-flow for recipient businesses against the backdrop of challenging economic conditions.
	The Government have helped all employers by increasing the employer national insurance contributions (NICs) threshold by £21 a week above indexation from April 2011. This reverses the previous Government's planned £3 billion tax on jobs and will increase the number of employees for whom employers pay no NICs by 650,000.
	Through the Merlin agreement, the five major UK banks committed to make available £190 billion of new credit in 2011. £76 billion of this new lending capacity will be to SMEs, which represents a 15% increase on the £66 billion they lent in 2010. This help has helped ensure that businesses in the West-midlands and across the economy are able to access the credit they need.
	For businesses lacking track-record or collateral, the Government have committed to continuing the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme until 2014-15, providing up to £600 million of additional lending to around 6,000 viable SMEs in 2011 and, subject to demand, over £2 billion in total over the next four years.
	This Department and Department for Communities and Local Government are jointly responsible for the £20 million High Street Support Fund which was made available to support businesses affected by the public disturbances in August. Under this scheme SME businesses affected in the West-midlands have received grants and benefited from business rate relief and continue to benefit from wider business support activities promote a return to normal trading activity. Final figures on spend under the scheme will not be available until after it closes in the new year.
	Earlier this year my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister commissioned an Independent Review of the High Street. The review is being carried out by Mary Portas and will report back to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister later this year. The purpose of the review is to identify what Government, local authorities and businesses can do to promote the development of more prosperous and diverse high streets.

Science: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the funding was for the Learning and Skills Improvement Service STEM Programme in each of the last three years for which data is available; and how he plans that it will be funded in the future.

David Willetts: holding answer 25 November 2011
	For 2009/10 and 2010/11, the Department did not specify an amount of funding for the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) STEM Programme. Funding was incorporated in the total ‘sector directed’ element of the Grant funding letter.
	From April 2011, LSIS is funded through the Skills Funding Agency Adult Participation Budget. The sector, in the form of the LSIS Council, determines the level of funding and LSIS deploys this to meet the needs identified by the sector and its key stakeholders.
	The Department and LSIS remain committed to improving teaching and learning in STEM subjects, and to supporting the wider STEM agenda.

Students: Finance

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what modelling his Department has undertaken on the cost of access to higher education loans; and if he will publish any such modelling.

John Hayes: The Government will make available £129 million in the 2013-14 financial year and £398 million in the 2014-15 financial year to support a system of further education (FE) loans for adults aged 24 or over studying at level 3 or higher. This includes those FE learners who are studying 'Access to HE' qualifications, who will be able to access loans alongside other learners.
	The costs and benefits of FE loans as a whole has been modelled in an impact assessment published alongside the New Challenges, New Chances consultation on FE loans. The impact assessment can be found on the BIS website on the following link:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/further-education-skills/docs/f/11-1218-further-education-loans-impact-assessment

Vocational Education

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding bodies provide support for skills for post 16 year-olds in Birmingham; what funding such organisations have received for work in Birmingham and the west midlands in each of the next five years; and what the national budget is for each such organisation in each such year.

John Hayes: As the question is directed to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), my reply refers to funding for further education (FE) and skills for learners aged 19 and over. The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) operates across England and allocates funding directly to individual FE colleges and training organisations to support FE and skills provision for adult learners. Each college and training organisation is expected to use its single Adult Skills budget to support the delivery of apprenticeships, classroom-based learning and work-based learning to meet the needs of the learners, and employers they serve, who may be drawn from a wide geographic area.
	As set out in the grant letter to the chief executive of the SFA, which was published on 31 March 2011:
	http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/SFA/VINCE_CABLE_TO _GEOFF_RUSSELL_(Skills_Funding_Agency)_31_MARCH_ 2011.pdf
	total funding for the agency for 2011-12 financial year (FY) is £3,923 million. This letter states that the indicative budget for 2012-13 FY is £3,759 million. In ‘Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth’, published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on 16 November 2010, we stated the direction of travel through to 2014-15 FY. We will publish the Adult Skills Investment Statement for the 2012-13 FY later in the autumn.

Egypt

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent political developments in Egypt.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has previously expressed our deep concern about the violent events in Cairo and elsewhere in Egypt last week, and the loss of life and injuries. We have repeatedly urged the Egyptian authorities to establish a clear timetable for a rapid transition to civilian-led democratic rule. It is critical that the parliamentary elections proceed freely, fairly and safely, allowing the Egyptian people to express their will.

China

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage investment in China by the UK service sector.

Henry Bellingham: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), places a high priority on supporting British companies in a range of service sectors to invest in China, including financial and professional services, creative industries, low carbon services and sustainable urban development.
	In June the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), signed a Memorandum of Understanding on trade in services with China.

Council of Europe Presidency

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his objectives are for the UK's presidency of the Council of Europe.

David Lidington: Our priorities for the UK Chairmanship of the Council of Europe are:
	reform of the European Court of Human Rights;
	reform of the Council of Europe as an organisation;
	promoting freedom of expression on the internet;
	combating discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity;
	working towards a more effective and efficient role for the Council of Europe in supporting local and regional democracy;
	supporting strengthening of the rule of law in member states.
	Further details are set out in my written statement of 26 October 2011, Official Report, columns 8-10WS.

Bahrain: Politics and Government

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the government of Bahrain on deaths of protesters since September 2011.

Alistair Burt: We have regular discussions with the Bahraini authorities about all human rights issues. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), spoke to the Bahraini Foreign Minister on 24 November. I have met with the Bahraini ambassador twice since September and our ambassador has seen all the senior leadership in Bahrain several times to discuss the situation in Bahrain.

Ethiopia

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to visit Ethiopia.

Henry Bellingham: For security and operational reasons, we do not comment on or announce visits significantly in advance. Information about visits is provided through press releases and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office publishes a retrospective quarterly list of ministerial visits on its website. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and I visited Ethiopia in July this year.

Gibraltar: Sovereignty

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Spain on the sharing of sovereignty over Gibraltar.

David Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has had no discussions with Spain on the sharing of sovereignty of Gibraltar. Any communication that we have with the Spanish Government about Gibraltar reflects our clear position on sovereignty, which is that the UK will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their wishes and, furthermore, the UK will not enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.

IRG

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2011, Official Report, column 663, on IRG, what the date was of the discussion between Stephen Crouch and the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

David Lidington: The conversation took place on 27 July 2010.

Italy: Foreign Relations

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on the UK's relations with Italy of the change of Government in that country; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: I welcome the formation of a new Government in Italy. The Prime Minister has already spoken to Prime Minister Monti, and I know the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) has done so likewise and has expressed his support in light of the difficult and tough decisions that Italy will have to make in the coming months. The UK enjoys a strong and healthy relationship with Italy, and I look forward to that continuing through the range of security, economic and European issues.

Kashmir

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Indian Government on the appointment of interlocutors for the engagement of stakeholders in Indian-administered Kashmir; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We are closely following the work of the three interlocutors appointed by Prime Minister Singh to help resolve the situation in Indian-administered Kashmir. However, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has not had discussions with the Government of India on their appointment. We are aware from the media that the interlocutors submitted their final report to the Indian Home Minister on 12 October but their recommendations have not yet been made public. It is for the Government of India to decide how to respond to the interlocutors' findings.
	Officials in our high commissions in Islamabad and New Delhi regularly discuss the situation in Kashmir with their counterparts in India and Pakistan and with contacts in Indian and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The long-standing position of the UK is well known—that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, one which takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to mediate in finding one.

Kosovo: Politics and Government

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the proposals in the Ahtisaari Plan for the promotion of local self-government and protection of the Serb community in Kosovo.

David Lidington: The UK has always supported the Ahtisaari Plan proposals. These provide for an enhanced and sustainable system of local self government and specific rights for the Serbian and other minority communities in Kosovo. Some examples of the provisions include proportional representation for minorities in the national government as well as the establishment of Kosovo-Serb majority municipalities with transparent links, including funding, with Belgrade. Other elements of the Ahtisaari Plan ensure education for minorities in their own language, the right to use their own community symbols and the ability to register their names in the original form and script’.
	The Plan's provisions, when fully implemented, will ensure a multi-ethnic and democratic Kosovo with wide rights at municipal level, progressing towards eventual EU membership and contributing to regional stability. The UK is a strong supporter of the International Civilian Office (ICO), which was established to supervise the implementation of the plan, and works closely with it and the Government of Kosovo to help deliver full implementation of the plan.

Libya: Chemical Weapons

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the discovery of chemical weapons stocks in Libya after the fall of Gaddafi; whether these weapons were (a) secret or (b) known to the organisations overseeing the chemical weapons disarmament process; whether their existence means that the Gaddafi regime was cheating on its promise to disarm; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: On 4 November 2011, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) announced that, following an on-site inspection, inspectors had confirmed that the remains of the chemical weapons stocks declared by the Gaddafi regime were intact and secure, pending completion of destruction.
	The OPCW also announced that the Libyan authorities had advised them orally on 1 November 2011 that further stocks of what were believed to be chemical weapons had been found. We welcome the willingness of the new Libyan Government to provide full disclosure and transparency. The OPCW is working with the Libyan authorities to confirm the nature of the newly discovered items and to verify their destruction should they turn out to be chemical weapons.
	We continue to monitor the situation closely with international partners and expect the Libyan Government to ensure the safety and security of all stocks.
	If these items are confirmed to be chemical weapons, then the Gaddafi regime held back important information about parts of its chemical weapons programme, and failed to declare and destroy it completely in accordance with the promises that it made and the international commitments which it accepted under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
	The UK Government’s engagement with Libya on weapon of mass destruction issues made real progress in diminishing the threat Gaddafi posed. Libya gave up its nuclear capabilities. Bringing Libya into the Chemical Weapons Convention led to the destruction, by February 2011, of all its declared unfilled aerial bombs, 55% of the mustard agent; and 40% of the chemical precursor stocks. This provides the basis for the new Government to take the necessary steps to declare and destroy all the weapons that it has inherited.

Malawi: Foreign Relations

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the relationship between the UK and the Government of Malawi.

Henry Bellingham: Britain and the Government of Malawi maintain formal diplomatic relations. But the relationship remains strained, following the Government of Malawi's unwarranted and unjustified decision to expel the British high commissioner, Mr Fergus Cochrane-Dyet, in April. In response to this action, the British Government expelled Malawi's acting high commissioner. Officials also carried out a review of the full range of the Britain's relations with Malawi, the results of which the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), announced to the House in a written statement on 14 July, Official Report, column 46WS. The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), has also suspended General Budget Support to the Government of Malawi, due to our serious concerns about the Government of Malawi's record on economic and political governance, public financial management, and human rights.
	Despite the strain in our relationship with the Government of Malawi, Britain's commitment to the people of Malawi remains undiminished. We are seeking to maintain planned levels of assistance from Britain to Malawi this year, and officials at the Department for International Development are reallocating the full amount originally set aside for General Budget Support to programmes that directly assist the poor. As evidence of this commitment, we have recently announced increased support for fertiliser and seeds, together with Norway and Ireland, to ensure food security for the poor people of Malawi.
	A delegation from the Government of Malawi, led by Foreign Minister Professor Peter Mutharika, visited London on 12 October for talks with the Foreign Secretary, the Under-Secretary of State for International Development, my hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury (Mr O'Brien), and me. We discussed the normalisation of diplomatic relations between the Britain and Malawi, and the deteriorating political and economic situation in Malawi. We emphasised to the Malawian delegation that we would appoint a new high commissioner to Malawi only when we could be confident that he or she would have full and unfettered freedom to engage not only with the Government of Malawi but with all political voices, whether or not they are sympathetic to the Government of Malawi, including the press and civil society. The appointment of a high commissioner remains under review. Similarly, Mr O'Brien insisted that General Budget Support would remain suspended until we saw concrete progress from the Government of Malawi in addressing our concerns over economic management, governance and human rights. We will continue to monitor the situation in Malawi closely.

Ambulance Services: Expenditure

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the likely level of (a) over-spending and (b) under-spending for each ambulance service trust in England in 2011-12.

Simon Burns: At quarter one of 2011-12, all ambulance service national health service trusts were forecasting a surplus.
	The aggregate forecast surplus for all ambulance service NHS trusts, at quarter one of 2011-12, was £16 million.
	The breakdown of the forecast surplus for all the ambulance service NHS trusts is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Ambulance service NHS trust 2011-12 Quarter 1 forecast surplus/(operating deficit) (£000) 
			 East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust 1,587 
			 East Of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust 2,398 
		
	
	
		
			 Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust 1,406 
			 London Ambulance Service NHS Trust 2,412 
			 North Fast Ambulance Service NHS Trust 3,025 
			 North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust 1,500 
			 South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust 2,050 
			 West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust 925 
			 Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 415 
			 Total 15,718

Clostridium

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to protect public health from methicillin-resistant clostridium difficile.

Simon Burns: The Government have made clear it is a key priority that the national health service operates a zero tolerance approach to all avoidable clostridium difficile infections.
	The NHS Operating Framework 2012-13 (published 24 November 2011) again prioritises the achievement of the c . difficile objective. Those organisations who have the highest rates of c . difficile infections will be required to make the largest reductions.
	This objective, through its successful implementation, will continue to build on the significant progress already made by moving the performance of all organisations towards the level of the best and, consequently will reduce numbers at a national level.

Departmental Publications

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) leaflets, (b) posters and (c) reports his Department has published since May 2010; how much each cost; and which company (i) published and (ii) designed each.

Simon Burns: The Department has published 219 leaflets, 19 posters, 138 reports and 50 other publications since May 2010. The cost of each is shown in a table, which has been placed in the Library. All publishing and design work was commissioned through the Central Office of Information, either through their in-house resource or from their design frameworks.

Hepatitis: Health Services

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the current levels of integration between health and social care services in delivering hepatitis C services; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: Integrated health and social care services are organised locally to meet local needs, and we do not hold this information centrally. Professor Martin Lombard, the National Clinical Director for Liver Disease, and his team have been working closely with representatives of the national health service, public health and patient groups for the past year to understand what needs to change to enable better outcomes to be achieved on Liver Disease, of which hepatitis C is a major contributing factor.
	The vision for the National Liver Strategy is to improve the patient pathway for people with liver disease so as to minimise unnecessary effort and expense, improve prevention and identification activity and improve treatment, care and support services from diagnosis to end-of-life care. It will underline the need for planned and integrated services across health and social care to deliver services based on the needs of individuals, and to support people living independently in the community with a good quality of life.

Hospital Beds: Hampshire

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to obtain data from the Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust showing the numbers out of its total of acute in-patient beds which have been occupied by (a) detained and (b) voluntary in-patients on each day in (i) September and (ii) October 2011; if he will place a copy of such data in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: This information is not collected centrally. I understand my hon. Friend has requested this data from the Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust directly and I am informed by the Trust that it has made arrangements to share this information with my hon. Friend.

Mental Health Services: Expenditure

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the likely level of (a) over-spending and (b) under-spending for each mental health trust in England in 2011-12.

Simon Burns: At quarter one of 2011-12, all mental health national health service trusts were forecasting a surplus.
	The aggregate forecast surplus for all mental health NHS trusts, at quarter one of 2011-12, was £34 million.
	The breakdown of the forecast surplus for all the mental health NHS trusts is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Mental Health NHS Trust 2011-12 Quarter 1 forec  ast surplus/(operating deficit)   (£000) 
			 Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust 3,504 
			 Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust 1,885 
			 Bradford District Care NHS Trust 100 
			 Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust 2,612 
			 Devon Partnership NHS Trust 785 
			 Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust 851 
			 Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership NHS Trust 442 
			 Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust 6,364 
			 Manchester Mental Health and Social Care NHS Trust 994 
			 Mersey Care NHS Trust 4,034 
			 North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust 1,238 
			 Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 4,224 
			 Oxford Learning Disability NHS Trust 400 
			 South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust 2,207 
		
	
	
		
			 Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust 0 
			 West London Mental Health NHS Trust 2,533 
			 Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust 1,500 
			 Total 33,673 
			 Note: As at quarter one of 2010-11, Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust was a mental health trust. However, since 1 July 2011, the trust has become part of Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, which is a care trust.

NHS: Expenditure

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the likely level of (a) over-spending and (b) under-spending for each acute service trust in England in 2011-12.

Simon Burns: At quarter one of 2011-12, there were 66 acute service national health service trusts forecasting an aggregate surplus between them, of £159 million.
	At quarter one of 2011-12, there were six acute service NHS trusts forecasting an aggregate operating deficit of £170 million. These were South London Healthcare NHS Trust (£65 million), Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust (£40 million), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (£30 million), Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust (£19 million), North West London Hospitals NHS Trust (£10 million) and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (£6 million).
	This means that acute service NHS trusts were forecasting a net aggregate operating deficit of £11 million.
	The Department is ensuring that the organisations forecasting a deficit have plans in place for financial recovery, while continuing to improve the quality of services to patients.
	The breakdown of the forecast surplus for all the acute service NHS trusts is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Acute Service NHS Trust 2011-12 Quarter 1 Forecast Surplus/(Operating Deficit)   (£000) 
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (39,798) 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 3,000 
			 Barts and The London NHS Trust 2,600 
			 Bedford Hospital NHS Trust 1,390 
			 Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust 5,506 
			 Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 2,800 
			 Croydon Health Services NHS Trust 4,438 
			 Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust 0 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 2,217 
			 East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust 3,500 
			 East Cheshire NHS Trust 250 
			 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 1,889 
			 East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 1,333 
			 Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust (19,300) 
			 George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 1,200 
			 Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust 6,880 
			 Hinchingbrooke Healthcare NHS Trust 0 
			 Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 4,866 
			 Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (30,000) 
			 Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 2,111 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 2,531 
			 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 2,100 
			 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 266 
			 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 833 
			 Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 0 
			 Newham University Hospital NHS Trust 2,275 
			 North Bristol NHS Trust 8,980 
			 North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust 1,000 
			 North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 500 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust (9,700) 
			 Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust 500 
			 Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust 1,696 
			 Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust 3,819 
			 Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust 580 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust 6,352 
			 Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 3,502 
			 Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust 0 
			 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 0 
			 Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust 0 
			 Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic NHS Trust 1,300 
			 Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust 4,400 
			 Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 6,676 
			 Royal Liverpool Broadgreen Hospitals NHS Trust 5,557 
		
	
	
		
			 Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust 6,200 
			 Royal Wolverhampton Hospital NHS Trust 7,952 
			 Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust 1,807 
			 Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust 1,884 
			 Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust 0 
			 South London Healthcare NHS Trust (65,176) 
			 Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust 5,156 
			 Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust 1,693 
			 St George's Healthcare NHS Trust 7,919 
			 St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust 250 
			 Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (6,113) 
			 The Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust 1,090 
			 The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 1,070 
			 Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust 483 
			 United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust 4 
			 University Hospital Of North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust 1,600 
			 University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 4,592 
			 University Hospitals Of Leicester NHS Trust 1,289 
			 Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust 2,500 
			 West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust 4,451 
			 West Middlesex University NHS Trust 1,604 
			 West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust 1,000 
			 Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 5,200 
			 Weston Area Health NHS Trust 3,610 
			 Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust 0 
			 Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 885 
			 Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust 0 
			 Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 0 
			 Wye Valley NHS Trust 145 
			 Total (10,856)

NHS: Training

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of medical staff working in the NHS in each of the last 10 years were trained outside the UK.

Simon Burns: This information is not held centrally. The Information Centre for health and social care collects data on the number of medical staff broken down by country of primary medical qualification. The following table shows the percentage of medical staff qualified outside the United Kingdom.
	
		
			 Hospital and Community Health Services: All medical staff and the percentage of medical staff qualified outside the UK, England as at 30 September each year 
			  AH medical staff (Number) Qualified outside the UK (Percentage) 
			 2000 68,158 31.1 
			 2001 70,314 31.9 
			 2002 73,377 33.6 
			 2003 77,088 34.7 
			 2004 83,144 36.7 
			 2005 86,660 38.3 
			 2006 89,411 38.0 
			 2007 90,698 37.0 
			 2008 94,482 36.8 
			 2009 98,619 35.7 
			 2010(1) 99,905 35.5 
			 (1 )This is a percentage of the total medical staff who's country of primary medical qualification is known. Note: The new headcount methodology for 2010 data is not fully comparable with previous years data due to improvements that make it a more stringent count of absolute staff numbers. Further information on the headcount methodology is available in the Census publication. Headcount totals are unlikely to equal the sum of components. Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census

Pancreatic Cancer

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the Study for Survival report, published by Pancreatic Cancer UK in September 2011.

Paul Burstow: We are committed to improving outcomes for all cancer patients, including those with pancreatic cancer. On 12 January, we published “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer” which sets out how we intend to tackle preventable cancer incidence, improve the quality and efficiency of cancer services and deliver outcomes that are comparable with the best in Europe. The Strategy sets out an ambition to save an additional 5,000 lives every year by 2014-15 through earlier diagnosis of cancer and improved access to screening and radiotherapy.
	Departmental officials have had informal discussions with Pancreatic Cancer UK about the “Study for Survival” Report.

Patient Choice Schemes

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the choose and book system.

Simon Burns: Choose and book is in use in every primary care trust and national health service provider organisation across England as well as many independent sector provider organisations who deliver services commissioned by the NHS. 94% of all general practitioner (GP) practices made bookings through choose and book in the last reporting month.
	Since 2004, over 32 million patient referrals have been booked via choose and book and, there is an average of over 30,000 patients a day whose appointments are booked using the system. This includes 50% of GP referrals to first outpatient services and an increasing number of referrals to other services, including those to allied health professionals, diagnostic and community services and GPs with specialist interests.
	The following benefits have been reported by users of choose and book:
	greater choice of providers as the services listed not only include those that are provided in hospitals but also those that are provided in other settings;
	a reduction in referral to treatment time for patients which may lead to shorter care pathways;
	increased security of referral information and reliability of booking processes;
	increased appropriateness of referrals;
	efficiency savings compared to a paper-based process as technology replaces manual booking processes; and
	a reduction in did not attend (missed) appointments.
	A survey of patient views about choose and book was carried out by the Department in April 2010. The findings were as follows:
	89% of patients stated that choose and book was .'Good' or 'Excellent';
	95% of patients thought it was 'Easy' or 'Very Easy' to obtain an appointment through choose and book;
	56% of patients agreed or strongly agreed that choose and book had improved the management of their referral;
	77% ‘Agreed’ or 'Strongly Agreed' that choose and book had reduced the time to receive an appointment;
	59% of patients were able to get an appointment for their chosen date and time (note, out-patient clinics are normally held on specific days and times); and
	89% of patients reported being able to go to the hospital of their own choice.

Departmental Publications

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) leaflets, (b) posters and (c) reports her Department has published since May 2010; how much each cost; and which company (i) published and (ii) designed each.

David Jones: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number  Cost (£) Designed and published 
			 Leaflets 0 — — — 
			 Posters 0 — — — 
			 Reports 2 Rural Economy Taskforce Report 718.40 Wales Office and Ministry of Justice 
			   Wales Office Annual Report 2010-11 5,437.56 Wales Office and The Stationery Office 
		
	
	Copies of which are in the Library of the House.

Air Passenger Duty

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with Ministers in HM Treasury on changes to air passenger duty following the extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme to the aviation sector.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport has regular discussions with HM Treasury on a range of aviation issues. Decisions on matters concerning taxation are taken by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne).
	The Government remains committed to the inclusion of aviation in the EU emissions trading system from 1 January 2012.

Aviation: Regulation

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in reducing the burden of regulation in the aviation sector.

Theresa Villiers: The Government are currently undertaking a review of the existing stock of regulation with a view to removing over burdensome regulatory legislation.
	As part of this process, in May next year the public and businesses will be invited to submit ideas for regulations in the aviation sector that might be amended or revoked so as to reduce their burden on the industry or to the public as a whole.

Cycling: Highway Code

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with the Home Secretary on steps to stop cyclists breaking the Highway Code.

Michael Penning: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), has had no discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), on this issue. The enforcement of cycling offences is, however, an operational matter for individual chief officers of police.

Fuels: EU Action

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings her Department has had with (a) representatives of the Canadian Government and (b) businesses on the proposed EU directive on fuel quality.

Norman Baker: The Secretary of State for Transport, the right hon. Member for Putney (Justine Greening), has not held any meetings with the representatives of the Canadian Government or oil companies regarding the Fuel Quality Directive since joining the Department in October.
	Department for Transport Ministers and officials have had numerous meetings with various stakeholders including representatives of oil companies, biofuel producers, trade associations representing the transport fuels industry, UK and international non-governmental organisations (including those representing environmental and social issues), the European Commission, European member states and the Canadian Government to discuss all aspects of the Fuel Quality Directive and will continue to do so as necessary.

Identification: Photographs

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to ensure a competitive market for the provision of ID photographs for driving licences and passports.

Michael Penning: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 22 November 2011, Official Report, columns 257-8W, with regards to the provision of photographs for driving licences and passports. Customers wishing to obtain a driving licence have three channels that they can use to provide a photograph. There is effective competition between the three channels driven by customer choice.

Railways: Overcrowding

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will encourage train companies to allow standard class ticket holders to sit in first class seats during periods of overcrowding.

Theresa Villiers: It is an operational matter for train operators to decide whether and, if so in what circumstances, to allow holders of standard class passengers to use first class accommodation (where available). This is permitted under Condition 39 of the National Rail Conditions of Carriage.

Shipping: Rescue Services

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contingency plans her Department has put in place for a maritime emergency in the South West that requires an emergency towing vehicle with a 200 ton bullard pull capability.

Michael Penning: HM Coastguard Coordination Centres actively monitor shipping using the automatic identification system (AIS) and will proactively contact ships that are observed to be stopped at sea or behaving erratically. Arrangements have been put in place to monitor tug availability in the waters around the UK and the Coastguard will encourage ship masters, owners and their insurers to take early action to summon tug assistance should ships get into difficulty or become disabled. Coastguards will also advise the principal salvage and towage brokers about the existence of disabled vessels so that they can match market capabilities with demand.
	Additionally, HM Coastguard has long-standing arrangements with ports, harbours and tug brokers for the supply of tugs in an emergency situation, and the coastguard agreement for salvage and towing (CAST) provides a further option for the provision of emergency towing.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling Stock

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2011, Official Report, column 610W, on Thameslink railway line: rolling stock, what the value was of Interfleet's contract with Siemens in each case where there was a potential conflict of interest. [R]

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 22 November 2011
	The detail of these contracts is a matter between Siemens and Interfleet rather than the Department

Tugboats

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the evidential basis is for her policy that the Coastguard Agreement on Salvage and Towage is a suitable alternative to the provision of emergency towing vessels; and what steps she plans to take to ensure that the safety standards provided by the emergency towing vessels are maintained.

Michael Penning: The Government have taken the view that it is the responsibility of shipowners and operators to protect their interests by engaging commercial tugs and salvors when their ships get into difficulty.
	The relevant coastguard co-ordination centres are actively monitoring shipping using the automatic identification system (AIS), and will be proactive in contacting ships that are observed to be stopped at sea or behaving erratically.
	The Coastguard Agreement on Salvage and Towage (CAST) was not developed to be a like-for-like alternative to the provision of emergency towing vessels (ETVs). The CAST provides tug assistance of last resort, with the cost potentially being borne by Government. It facilitates the prompt hire of tugs on pre-agreed terms, where towage assistance is not immediately available or forthcoming. This also provides the Secretary of State’s Representative (SOSREP) with a means to exercise his powers of direction and intervention on maritime salvage and pollution prevention.

Biofuels

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the average proportion of stemwood combusted in biomass generating plants in the UK in each of the last five years.

Gregory Barker: The sustainability reporting requirements under the renewables obligation (RO) do not require operators to provide this level of detail.
	The types of wood reported to Ofgem as combusted in biomass generating stations include; brash, recycled wood, wood from tree surgery, forestry and timber processing rejects, forest stumps, sawmill co-products and offcuts, forestry waste wood, wood pellets, recycled fibre, small roundwood, sawdust and sawmill chip. Of these, only brash and forest stumps would be considered as sources that specifically exclude stemwood content. Other sources except roundwood may contain a mix of stemwood and non-stemwood.
	Wood provided around 36% of the five million tonnes of solid biomass and energy crop reported as feedstocks in the renewables obligation (RO) returns for 2010-11.
	The returns submitted to Ofgem give a total of 1.82 million tonnes of wood as combusted from April 2010 to March 2011. 16,088 tonnes, around 0.9% of the total wood, was reported as sourced from brash and/or forest stumps.
	Wood provided around 53% of the 4.1 million tonnes of solid biomass and energy crop reported as feedstocks in the renewables obligation returns for 2009-10.
	The returns submitted to Ofgem give a total of 2.14 million tonnes of wood combusted from April 2009 to March 2010, 21,330 tonnes, equivalent to around 1% of the total wood, was reported as sourced from brash and/or forest stumps.
	Biomass sustainability reporting was introduced under the renewables obligation in April 2009.
	We do not hold data prior to this date.

Boilers

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of domestic properties without a condensing boiler.

Gregory Barker: There are around 26 million dwellings in Great Britain. 2009 is the last year official figures have been published shows that there are approximately 22 million gas and oil boilers, an estimated six million condensing boilers, and 16 million non-condensing boilers. Over 1.5 million new condensing gas boilers are,, installed each year. The remaining four million dwellings use a mix of electric, solid fuel or district heating to heat their homes.

Departmental Eggs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure that the same standards of animal welfare for whole eggs apply to imported liquefied eggs procured by (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible.

Gregory Barker: The Government Buying Standards mandatory criteria in respect of eggs currently apply to fresh, in-shell eggs. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) will be making necessary changes to the Government Buying Standards mandatory criteria to ensure eggs produced in conventional cages, an illegal production system across the EU after 2012, should not be used in any form whether this is fresh, powdered or liquid.
	DECC receives its catering services through a contract procured, by DEFRA, and so through this contract will comply with this mandatory criteria. DECC will also ensure that its NDPBs are alerted to this forthcoming mandatory criteria.

Departmental Press Releases

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure that significant policy announcements from his Department are made in the House prior to their release to the media.

Gregory Barker: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) on 23 November 2011, Official Report, column 313, during the Annual Energy Statement debate.

Diesel Fuel: Refineries

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps the Government is taking to increase the UK’s diesel refining capacity.

Charles Hendry: The Department recognises that petroleum products will remain a major component of the UK’s primary energy mix for at least the next 20 years. We are working with other Government Departments and the UK refining industry to develop a strategic policy framework for the UK refining sector. Part of this work will consider a number of future development scenarios for UK refining, including enhanced diesel and jet fuel manufacturing capacity, in terms of their potential security of supply and wider economic implications and will examine the range of EU and UK policies that impact upon the sector.

Energy: Prices

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made an estimate of the number of energy customers who switched suppliers (a) once and (b) twice or more in each of the last five years.

Charles Hendry: The following table shows the number of customers who have switched from one supplier to another during the last five years.
	
		
			 Million 
			  Electricity Gas 
			 2006 4.836 3.912 
			 2007 5.157 3.981 
			 2008 5.427 4.158 
			 2009 5.022 3.825 
			 2010 4.746 3.558 
		
	
	The data is collected by Ofgem and does not show how many times a customer may have switched.

Energy: Prices

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps (a) he and (b) Ofgem plans to take to monitor the pricing practices of energy companies in respect of (i) doorstep selling and (ii) pre-payment meters.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem is responsible for regulating gas and electricity supply, including the marketing activities used by supply companies and energy tariffs. In 2009, Ofgem brought in new rules on (i) doorstep selling, that require any information used during the sales process to be complete, accurate and not misleading and (ii) pricing, including rules to prevent unfair price differentials, such as those between different payment methods. It is for Ofgem to investigate any allegations of the rules being breached and to take any necessary action.
	Ofgem are currently investigating a number of suppliers regarding their compliance with their doorstep selling rules and Ofgem have also reported on the effectiveness of their rules on cost reflective pricing. They have found that prepayment meter (PPM) customers now pay, on average, £20 less than standard credit customers for their gas and electricity. They have also found that direct debit customers now pay, on average, £70 less than PPM for gas and electricity, which is within the £88 indicative cost difference between providing and servicing a PPM compared to a direct debit account, identified by Ofgem. A copy of the full Ofgem Retail Market Report is available online at:
	www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/rmr/Documents1/RMR_FINAL.pdf
	We support Ofgem's actions in tackling unjustified tariff premiums to ensure consumers do not lose out and the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), has also announced that the Government are considering giving Ofgem additional powers to secure redress for consumers where they have lost out as a result of a licence or energy regulation breach.

Feed-In Tariffs

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with the Local Government Association on (a) his proposed reforms to feed-in tariffs and (b) the Memorandum of Understanding between his Department and the Association in 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Local Government Association(LGA) have been actively involved in discussions on the review of the feed-in tariffs (FITs) scheme.
	The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) and councillor Richard Kemp of the LGA in March 2011, and was discussed at a meeting on 28 November between the SoS and the LGA.

Renewable Energy: Heating

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to decide whether to include bioliquids in the renewable heat incentive; and when he plans to announce his decision.

Gregory Barker: As stated in the renewable heat incentive policy document (published in March), we are considering whether to support bioliquids as part of developing the second phase of the scheme. In the light of the later than expected launch of phase one of the renewable heat incentive and of the changes required by the European Commission, we are reviewing the timetable for the introduction of phase two and will confirm the timetable early next year.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of companies that will be forced to cease trading as a result of the proposed reductions to solar photovoltaic feed-in tariffs.

Gregory Barker: The Department does not hold relevant information on which to base any estimate of companies that will be forced to cease trading in the UK solar industry. The impact assessment accompanying the Government's consultation on feed-in tariffs (FITs) for solar photovoltaics (PV) available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/fits-comp-review-p1/3416-fits-IA-solar-pv-draft.pdf
	estimates that new solar PV installations will continue to come forward under the proposed changes to FITs for solar PV. The impact assessment does not estimate the specific impact of the proposed changes, or the potential new business opportunities arising from the consultation proposals on energy efficiency, on the UK solar industry.
	Current tariffs are providing returns well in excess of the around 5% that was intended when the FITs scheme was launched, and the proposed new tariffs are intended to ensure that returns go back to this level.

EU Grants and Loans: North East Region

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 10 May 2011, Official Report, columns 1179-80W, on EU Grants and Loans: North East, what the monetary value was of the funding to the North East England 2007-13 European Regional Development Fund Competitiveness Programme that remained uncommitted at the end of October 2011.

Bob Neill: The monetary value of the North East England European Regional Development Fund Competitiveness Programme 2007-13 that remained uncommitted at the end of October 2011 was £123 million.
	The 2007-13 allocation must be spent by 2015.
	I also refer the hon. Member to my Department's press notice of 1 August 2011, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House, which outlines how the European Regional Development Fund has previously been plagued by a legacy of poor administration, and how this Government have overhauled the management of these schemes. As a result of these measures, the European Commission lifted an interruption on the programme which it had ordered. These steps will also protect taxpayers from the prospect of "financial corrections" being levied due to poor administration, as happened under the 2000-06 programme.

Housing: Fire Extinguishers

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the use of automatic fire suppression systems in residential properties in other countries.

Andrew Stunell: The information requested is not held centrally. My officials do, as far as possible keep abreast of relevant international developments and ensure that any research or analysis uses all available data.
	The cost benefit analysis that formed part of 2005 study into the effectiveness of residential sprinklers relied extensively on US data where UK data was not available. More recently, the 2010 "Cost Benefit Analysis of Options to Reduce the Risk of Fire and Rescue in Areas of New Build Homes" took account of US and New Zealand data as part of the research literature review. The 2010 report is available on the DCLG website at:
	www.communities.gov.uk/documents/fire/pdf/costbenefitfirenewbuild.pdf

Mass Media

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the oral statement of 21 November 2011, Official Report, column 43, on housing reform, if he will publish the media strategy in relation to his announcement listing all media interviews the Minister for Communities and Housing carried out prior to the oral statement.

Grant Shapps: holding answer 25 November 2011
	The planned publication of the Government's national housing strategy—Laying the Foundations, on the morning of Monday 21 November, generated a significant amount of media interest. Prior notice was given to the House that a written statement was to be made on housing. As a result of this interest, as the Minister for Housing and Local Government, I accepted a number of requests for interviews from national and regional broadcasters on the morning of publication.
	A number of the fundamental measures contained in the housing strategy had been announced to the House previously. I refer the hon. Member in particular to my written statement of 4 April 2011, Official Report, column 46WS, announcing details of New Homes Bonus funding to provide local authorities with a real incentive to deliver housing growth; the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), written statement of 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 1WS, which outlined our reforms to the right to buy, funding to tackle empty homes, the proposed introduction of a “pay to stay scheme” for social tenants on incomes of greater than £100,000 per annum and work to release public sector land to support the building of 100,000 new homes; and the statement of 7 November 2011, Official Report, column 9WS, which announced details of the Government's £500 million Growing Places Fund to support infrastructure and unlock stalled housing sites.
	Given these statements, it was quite legitimate to engage in a public debate whilst making clear, as I did, that full details of new policy proposals would only be released later in the day after the House had been notified.

Mass Media

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the contribution of the Minister for Housing and Local Government of 21 November 2011, Official Report, column 58, on housing reform, and the contribution of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government of 21 November 2011, Official Report, column 61, Points of Order, if he will instigate an inquiry on disclosure by the media of the housing reform statement prior to it being made to the House.

Grant Shapps: holding answer 25 November 2011
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him in PQs 82880 and 82881 on 29 November 2011 and to the statement of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), 21 November 2011, Official Report, column 61.

Mass Media

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to his oral statement of 21 November 2011, Official Report, column 43, on housing reform, if he will publish the media grid his Department used in relation to that Statement, including the (a) journalists and (b) media outlets that received briefings; and when such briefings took place.

Grant Shapps: holding answer 25 November 2011
	A press notice was released by my Department's press office after the deposit of the written ministerial statement and associated documents in the Library of the House, and was distributed widely.

Planning Permission: Taxation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent research his Department has conducted into the merits of tax on the land value uplift created by the granting of planning permission.

Bob Neill: The Department has conducted no recent research into the merits of a tax on the land value uplift created by the granting of planning permissions.
	The last Government planned the introduction of a planning gain supplement (including introducing preparatory legislation), but abandoned the policy, no doubt because of the likelihood of uncertainty, lengthy negotiations and legal disputes arising from the complex calculations of the value of the uplift.
	Attempts by previous Governments to introduce land development taxes resulting from planning permission (the 1947 development charge, the 1967 betterment levy, the development gains tax introduced in 1973 and the development land tax in 1976) were similarly ineffective or unsuccessful.
	The community infrastructure levy came into force in April 2010 (amended in April 2011) and allows local authorities in England and Wales to raise funds from developers undertaking new building projects in their area. Where it is charged the incidence of the levy will fall to land-owners whose land typically rises in value upon the granting of planning permission ('uplift'); the Department published an impact assessment to accompany the introduction of the community infrastructure levy:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/infrastructurelevyfinal
	Similarly, planning agreements ('section 106 agreements'), between local authorities and developers, allow local authorities to access the development value that arises through the granting of planning permissions to ensure that the development is acceptable in planning terms. The Department has conducted a number of research projects on such agreements:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planningbuilding/planningresearch/researchreports/planningobligationsresearch/

Right to Buy Scheme: Greater London

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the number of households in each local authority in London which have a Right to Buy.

Grant Shapps: We do not have estimates of the number of households in each local authority area in London which have a right to buy. However, an approximation of this can be observed from related statistics.
	Table 100 available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/stockincludingvacants/livetables/
	shows the dwelling stock by tenure in each local authority district. Tenants of occupied local authority owned properties who have been in social housing for five years or more are entitled to right to buy.
	Estimates of the number of tenants entitled to right to buy in each local authority area are not available. However, the English Housing Survey provides an estimate of the length of current residency for tenants at a regional level. This shows that in 2009-10 around 300,000 households in local authority owned stock in London had been in their current accommodation for five or more years. However, this does not capture those that have previously been resident in social housing prior to their current accommodation and therefore is likely to be an underestimate of the proportion that are eligible for right to buy.
	Furthermore, some tenants living in housing association stock from pre-1989 will also have the right to buy and also some tenants living in housing association stock which has been transferred from local authorities have the preserved right to buy.

Ascension Island: Overseas Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department has given to Ascension Island in each of the last 10 years.

Alan Duncan: Ascension does not receive financial assistance from the Department of International Development. Its costs are supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence.

Developing Countries: Water

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to attend the Sanitation and Water for All high-level meeting in Washington DC in April 2012.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) strongly supports the work of the Sanitation and Water for All partnership to increase accountability of both developing countries and donors for delivering results on the ground.
	DFID recognise that it will be important to have a strong UK presence at the next high-level meeting in April 2012. The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), has not as yet planned his detailed involvement at the spring meetings. DFID will give this important meeting the due consideration that it deserves, and will ensure that the UK is appropriately represented.

Pitcairn Island: Overseas Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on the provision of development aid to Pitcairn Island; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: The UK is obliged under the UN Charter to promote the well-being of the inhabitants of the Overseas Territories (OTs). The 2002 International Development Act exempts the territories from the poverty criteria that apply to the rest of the aid budget. Successive White Papers on international development, including those produced since 1997, have committed the British Government to meeting the “reasonable needs” of the OTs as a first call on the aid budget.
	The Department for International Development provides development aid to Pitcairn Island to meet its citizens' reasonable needs, ensuring maintenance of a range of basic public services (e.g. electricity, telecommunications) and provision of part-time public sector employment. Budget aid is also used to provide medical and educational services, as well as a shipping service that provides a necessary life-line in terms of freight and passenger services.